


Structural Damage

by amythis



Series: Aftershocks [3]
Category: Laverne & Shirley (TV)
Genre: (without the horned helmet), And what about Carmine?, Chuck has to deal with his rebellious chimpanzee "son", Is Frank OK with this if he might at least get a grandson out of it?, It's 1968 and that explains things a little, Laverne is still working towards getting back to being the feisty girl everyone loves, Lenny is trying to hold on to his hippie ideals despite all the recent changes and challenges, Multi, Queer Quad in the sense that this is by definition peculiar, Season Eight in the blender, Shirley is trying to be a good mother while definitely not dating professional men, Soap Operetta, Squendelyn is trying to find the perfect minidress for her second wedding, Squiggy is trying to deal with his softer feelings and that this is not Milwaukee in the Fifties, bisexual Core Four
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-22
Updated: 2020-11-02
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:08:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,055
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27134357
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amythis/pseuds/amythis
Summary: This is Story Five of theAftershocksseries.  For Missy's Story Two and Story Four, please see https://archiveofourown.org/works/23665153/chapters/56807878 and https://archiveofourown.org/works/24622318/chapters/59484460
Relationships: Laverne DeFazio & Lenny Kosnowski, Laverne DeFazio & Shirley Feeney, Laverne DeFazio/Lenny Kosnowski/Andrew "Squiggy" Squiggman, Laverne DeFazio/Shirley Feeney/Lenny Kosnowski/Andrew "Squiggy" Squiggman, Lenny Kosnowski/Andrew "Squiggy" Squiggman, Shirley Feeney/Andrew "Squiggy" Squiggman, Squendelyn/Chuck
Series: Aftershocks [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1704115
Comments: 50
Kudos: 2
Collections: Aftershocks-Verse





	1. One Life to Live

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Missy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Missy/gifts).



For the first time in awhile, someone was trying to choke Andrew Squiggman....

The morning had started out peacefully enough, considering the upheaval of the past four months. He woke up in his apartment, alone, but that was no surprise, since Lenny had explained that he would need to hold Laverne all night. That wasn't even a sexual or romantic thing. The girl had been shaken up badly on Friday, and nothing comforted her like Lenny's arms and chest. Squiggy had known that since the beer-vat pregnancy scare and resolution over nine years ago, and he also knew that the best thing to do was to stay out of the way. He cared about Laverne himself but he wasn't great at the softer emotions, his own or anyone else's.

He needed to talk to Lenny himself but he understood that, as with so much in life, it was best if the girls came first. He'd wanted to stay and comfort Shirley more, but he was kinda shitty at that so it was better to give her space and let her lose herself in watching _The Tonight Show_. Flatt & Scruggs and comedian Phil Foster were on that night and they were pretty good from what Squiggy saw on his own set downstairs.

He yawned, stretched, took a shower, and got dressed in his old reliable leather jacket, black T-shirt, black briefs, blue jeans, and Chuck Taylors. Then he headed over to Laverne's, hoping that he was just in time for breakfast and that the two lovebirds weren't still in bed. For once, he didn't feel like joining them on her California King, although he hoped there would be more lazy Saturday mornings with his boyfriend and girlfriend, however Shirley fit into this thing now.

He caught the words "badly broken" before he yanked the front door open. He didn't actually try to time his entrances. Mostly it was just random, but he knew he had to say, "Hello," after that.

Lenny and Laverne weren't at the kitchen table but were instead sitting on the couch, not touching for once. (They'd always been touchy-feely even before they were a "couple." They used to lead each other around by the hands, and they would even flirt in front of him when he was ranting, whether in her living room or in an animal shelter. So Squiggy never bought the "Lenny is just a friend" bullshit.) This time there was just enough space for him to plop between them and announce, "Well, I finally made my move with Shirley."

Instead of Laverne offering a handshake of congratulations, both her hands wrapped around his neck, until Lenny reached over and pulled Squiggy to the safer side of the sofa.

"How could you jump her at a time like this?"

"He didn't jump her. Did ya, Squig?"

"In front of her kid? I still got mental scars from my dad's 'cocktail mixers' with your mom!"

Both guys shuddered at the memories from a quarter century ago.

Laverne said, "I don't wanna know. But, Len, how do you know Squiggy didn't jump Shirley?"

"He's my best friend. I know him."

She crossed her arms across her chest, but not before Squiggy silently noted she wasn't wearing a bra under her tie-dye shirt. "So do I."

"Yeah, but he just means he told her he's in love with her."

She shook her head. "I don't believe it."

"It's true. I wasn't supposed to say nothin' to even you until he told her but now that he has, ain't it wonderful?"

"I refuse to believe that Andrew Squiggman would tell any girl he had serious feelings for that he loves her."

"Just 'cause I ain't in love with you, you don't gotta take it personal."

"I ain't takin' it personal. I ain't in love with you neither."

"Squiggy has told lots of girls he's in love with 'em."

"Exactly. The bearded lady and Barbara Hummel and whatshername who was pushing him around at home and at the brewery."

"Vivian McCafferty," Squiggy said, sighing at the memory of her loveliness.

"Right, and where are they now?"

"I think the bearded lady moved to Schenectady. Olivia I think her name was."

"And meanwhile, you've been pinin' for Shirley ever since she came back to Burbank but you can't just tell her that."

"Woman, I don't pine."

"Yeah, you do. But you're too 'manly' to do more than unpack her apartment and maybe grab her last night."

Sometimes Squiggy hated that Laverne understood him better in some ways than his best friend did.

"Is that true, Squig?" Lenny asked when Squiggy scowled instead of retorting to Laverne.

"I told her how I feel," he said stubbornly.

"Uh huh," Laverne said skeptically.

"Well, I said she needs someone to look after her, which is practically the same thing."

She snorted. "Squiggy, that's about as romantic as an insurance policy."

"Aaah, you're just jealous."

"Jealous?!"

"Yeah, 'cause you ain't gettin' nowhere with her and I gave her a hell of a kiss last night."

Laverne lunged for him again, but this time he leapt off the couch.

"Squig, you'd better go."

Squiggy glared at his best friend. "I knew when it came down to it, you was always gonna choose her."

"I ain't choosin' no one. I just can't deal with both of you right now and I ain't done talkin' with Laverne yet."

Squiggy wanted to point out that Lenny had spent hours with Laverne, but then he remembered why. So he settled for the empty threat, "All right, but I may not be there when you get home," and then storming out.

He went back to his apartment and ate alone. He was eager for one or both his significant others to show up and apologize. But when the door burst open a half hour later, the person who said hello was someone he hadn't bathed with since he had baby teeth.


	2. Days of Our Lives

Lenny watched Laverne pace back and forth in her living room, trying not to think about how Squiggy was probably seething in theirs.

"How could he do that last night?" she fumed.

"You knew he had feelings for her."

"I'm talking about the timing. I had just spilled my guts to her about the worst experience of my life, worried the whole time that she would blame me, and knowing that it would probably upset the sweetest girl in the world, and then he decides it's time to swoop in and be the big man."

"I don't think it's like that. It's just, well, he knows I'm tryin' to be here for you, and he wants to be there for her."

"Couldn't it wait, Len?"

"Well, you know he ain't got normal timing."

She snorted. "Yeah." She shook her head. "I don't know, maybe I am jealous that he just went for it. I've been trying to give her space. She just had a baby a couple months ago and she's still technically married to Walter. And what about poor Carmine?"

"Carmine is in New York, so what kind of future could he have with Shirley?"

"He could always come back, try some more in Hollywood instead of Broadway, on and off."

"But right now he's dating New York girls."

She sighed. "Yeah, I guess. But she does talk to him on the phone twice a week. Including Saturdays!" she gasped.

Lenny nodded. "She's gonna have some stuff to update him on today."

She let out a half-hysterical laugh. "Yeah, some." She sank onto the couch and rested her head on his shoulder.

He stroked her hair. "You've been goin' through a lot, too, so it makes sense for you not to rush into things with Shirley. Especially since you two are kinda new at the queer stuff."

"Unlike you and Squiggy," she managed to tease. "Who've been makin' out since 'Rock Around the Clock.' "

He blushed. It had taken him years to work through the Catholic guilt about his feelings about and actions with Squiggy, all while recognizing that they both still liked girls, two girls in particular. "Yeah, well, kissin' ain't much different than when it's a guy and a girl. And that's all you've done so far, right?"

Now she stroked his hair, which was longer than hers. "Yeah, Len. I told you. I'm not even gonna neck with her until I'm sure you're comfortable with it."

He kissed her forehead. "Thank you. If it's OK, I wanna talk to her this weekend."

She looked him in the eye. "About me and her? Or her and Squiggy? Or, or you and her?"

"There is no me and her. I mean, I guess, except that we're good friends and we might wind up with a boyfriend and girlfriend in common."

"You sure? She's real pretty and I know how great she is."

"Yeah, I mean, I sorta love her as a friend. But mostly I don't think of her That Way."

"Except when you think she's gonna jump out of a cake or strip for your lodge."

"I was young and hormonable then."

"Well, good, cause I really don't need more competition, and you're a lot sexier than Squiggy and Carmine."

"Not as sexy as you," he said, nuzzling her neck.

"Mmm, Len."

Then he stopped guiltily. "I'm sorry, I forgot."

She didn't have to ask his meaning. She took his hand and said, "Lenny, your touch heals me."

He squeezed her hand. "I hope so. I just don't want to remind you of that," he considered and rejected a lot of swear words, "sailor."

"I'll let you know when I feel overwhelmed. But he, he treated me like a thing, not a person, and it helps that you always wanna talk."

"Talking is good."

"So what do you want to say to Shirley?"

"Lots of things, like how much I love you."

"She knows that."

He shook his head. "She's the only person I trust enough to share you and Squiggy with. She'll be good to you and she won't break your hearts."

"Awww, Len." She kissed his cheek.

"But I still might get jealous. Or she might. Plus, I already got her kid liking me best out of everybody, even though I didn't ask for that."

Laverne smiled fondly. "Debbie does love her Uncle Lenny."

"You know, Laverne, if you want...."

She knew exactly where he was going with this, cutting him off with, "No, Len, it's too soon and the last thing we all need is to bring another baby into the situation."

"But you're not saying never, right?"

"No, but I'm not saying definitely either."

Lenny knew he was getting greedy again, but he couldn't help it. He reminded himself he should probably marry her before knocking her up, and she wasn't ready for that either.

"You should go talk to Squiggy."

"You gonna be OK, Darlin'?"

"Yeah, I need a little time on my own today, and I know where to find you if I need you."

She seemed so calm, even serene, now. He couldn't help thinking of the shattered woman that Shirley had brought home yesterday. The girls had met for a lunch they couldn't eat, had called in sick for the rest of the workday, and reeled from Laverne's brief sighting of the most evil person to ever change all of their lives.

Lenny let go, stood up, and cracked his knuckles.

"Lenny, don't." It was a plea and an order, and he knew he was supposed to listen, but he didn't want to.

"He's in town," he muttered.

She leapt to her feet and clutched his arm. "Don't go lookin' for him, Len. This ain't like with Biff."

He still felt guilty over seven years later about that. Yeah, he and Squiggy got there in time to help her fight off their bullying foreman, but they had set up the date without telling Laverne what she was in for. And, yeah, they'd been able to get to Laverne's apartment before she got hurt, while he couldn't undo what happened to her three months ago, but he still wanted to.

He grabbed her and held her tight. "I wish I'd gone to that beach party with you!"

"Len, you had to leave the next morning for your tour, and you can't be with me and protect me all the time."

"I wish I could."

"You've gotta live your own life. And start going on tour again."

"I'm fine with sessions work. And, uh, I've got an in-town gig tonight."

"Great, the four of us can double date."

She could always make him laugh, and want to kiss her. By the time he got home, his roommate had company.


	3. Love of Life

Squiggy wasn't too surprised to see his sister, since she had moved from Paramis to Westwood after her divorce. She was a buyer at Bardwell's and in fact got Shirley her job back. ("Sorry, Squig, Lenny's girlfriend is a lost cause," she'd reported, but Laverne was happier at Ajax anyway.) Squendelyn had built a life for herself Out West, as her brother had, but they definitely saw each other more often than they had since she left Milwaukee with her new husband almost a decade ago.

She didn't know much about his personal life, since he always tried to shield her from that, but he of course knew that the guy with very curly brown hair was her steady boyfriend. A couple months ago, about a week before Shirley's very pregnant return, when Squen was just visiting, Squiggy had begged Laverne to find a guy to take his sister out and help her forget Arnie a little. So Laverne set Squen up with her goofy but nice co-worker Chuck, and the pair immediately clicked. They'd been together ever since, but this was the first time Chuck had visited his girlfriend's brother's apartment.

"So what you brings you two by?"

To his surprise, Chuck dropped to one knee and said, "We want your blessing on our union."

"Well, I used to be a Teamster, but ain't you two in different unions?"

"No, I wanna be your brother-in-law."

"Oh, fuck, you put a bat in her cave!"

Chuck said, "I totally respect your sister," as she said, "Watch your language, Andrew, and besides I'm on the Pill."

"So you're just getting married for the hell of it?"

"We love each other," Squendelyn said, as if that was a good reason.

Squiggy was trying to think of a tactful response, which he usually wouldn't have bothered with, when Lenny strolled through the open door and asked, "Are you knighting Chuck?"

"Nah, these two crazy kids are tyin' the knot."

Lenny beamed. He'd always been an old-fashioned romantic, and even as a hippie he believed that all you need is love. He came over and shook Chuck's hand, as Chuck kept kneeling. "Congratulations! She's a great girl."

"Oh, Leonard, tee hee!" Squen had a crush on Len when they were kids, and she sometimes thought it was mutual. Squiggy didn't have the heart to disillusion her. And she of course had no idea that Squiggy was one of Lenny's types, or vice versa.

"Thank you, Kosnowski." Lenny let go and Chuck stood up. "Is Laverne feeling better? I didn't get to tell her the good news at work because something disagreed with her at lunch."

"Uh, yeah, she's fine now."

Squen gave her brother a quick hug. "We'll be back to discuss the wedding later."

Squiggy waited until their guests were gone before saying, "So she's fine now," only half as a question.

"Well, as fine as can be expected. How are you?"

Squiggy shrugged. "I know we talked about this, and you promised you wasn't gonna put a dame ahead of me, but maybe sometimes you will?" That was a question.

"I'll try not to but she needed me. You know I ain't goin' nowhere though, right?"

"For now."

"What do you mean?"

"I ain't stupid, Len. Someday you're gonna wanna marry her and have babies."

"Yeah, but not right away. And maybe, well, maybe you and Shirl...?"

"I dunno. Laverne's right, I didn't actually ask Shirl out or toss my heart at her feet or nothin'."

"It's a start. And I'm real proud of you."

"Thanks. And now I've got this whole thing with Squen and her betruffled."

"Are you OK about that?"

"Well, you know I'm not the biggest fan of marriage, but she's the soroptimist of the family, so if she thinks it'll go better the second time around, more power to her."

"Yeah. Did she say when the wedding will be?"

"No, no details yet. I don't even know if she's invitin' our parents."

"What if all three of 'em show up this time?"

"That could be a little awkward. Especially if my old man brings whoever his latest squeeze is."

"Yeah. So, um, I'm thinkin' about goin' up and talkin' to Shirley."

"About what?" Squiggy said suspiciously, remembering the morning he thought that Lenny slept over at the girls' apartment because of Shirley.

"About everything."

"Everything?"

"Yeah, especially about her and Laverne."

"I swear, Len, I wasn't even thinkin' about Laverne when I kissed Shirley."

"I know, Squig, but that's not what I meant. See, well, sharing Laverne with Shirley ain't gonna be as easy as sharing her with you."

Squiggy nodded sagely. "You're afraid she's gonna like pussy more than cock. But Laverne DeFazio loves cock, especially yours."

"Um, thanks." Lenny's face turned as red as the flowers on his shirt. "But I mean more that we don't know what it's gonna be like to really add someone new to this thing the three of us have got."

Squiggy felt his own burst of optimism. "It'll be even better, 'cause she's Shirley and she completes us."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, and besides, she's in it anyway, no matter who gets in her pants."

Lenny blushed redder but of course couldn't argue with that.


	4. As the World Turns

"...I will, Carmine. Oh, Lenny's here. You, too." She hung up and looked at her uninvited guest without surprise. "Carmine says hello."

Lenny nodded. "How's he doin'?"

"Well. He's in good health and _Hair_ is successful for off-Broadway."

Lenny chuckled. "Who knew his biggest hit would be playin' a hippie?"

She looked at him from head to toe, and he knew she was thinking that in a way, he was playing a hippie. He was pushing thirty and he was still a '50s guy in some ways, although different ways than Squiggy, who still looked like the hood who somehow swindled his way into being the valedictorian of the Class of '56. Lenny wanted to believe in peace and love, but it wasn't easy. The horror of Laverne being used and abused while she was falling-down drunk was something he couldn't fully let his mind think about, or else he'd want to hunt down the evil sailors who perpetuated the crime. Not just the main guy who "won" her, but all his buddies who watched like it was just a dirty peep show on the Sunset Strip or in Tijuana. And it was the kind of crime that didn't just happen and then you got over it, like when the Milwaukee Masher stole Laverne and Shirley's clothes. Laverne was going to have mental scars from this maybe forever. And she was the woman Lenny loved more than life itself, so he hurt when she was hurting.

And that aside, Lenny on some level believed that free love was good and that the more love the better. But he was an insecure, jealous guy who had been abandoned by his mother and somewhat neglected by his father, as well as kicked around by life in a lot of ways. He was never supposed to get the girl, and a part of him believed he wouldn't be able to hold onto her.

And yet, he wanted Laverne to be happy and he had shared her from the beginning, so if she, and Squiggy, wanted Shirley to be part of this, he'd do what he could to make it work.

"I want to thank you, Lenny."

He blinked. Had she read his mind, or was it just that obvious what he wanted to say to her? "Um, you're welcome."

"I understand now why you snapped at me yesterday. You were just protecting Laverne."

"I'm sorry about that, Shirl. It wasn't your fault."

She nodded. "How's she doing now?"

"Better. But you might want to check on her later." He swallowed. "I know that there are things you understand better, as a woman and as her best friend."

"Please sit down."

She was on the couch, which dated back to at least Sonny, Laverne's first boyfriend in California. Lenny took the armchair, which he remembered Carmine buying.

Shirley took a deep breath and let it out slowly before she began, so Lenny knew they were really going to talk. This made him nervous, because, of the six friendships among the four of them, theirs had always been the weakest. He loved Shirley and had wept when he thought she was moving to California years before they all went, but they didn't understand each other the way that Squiggy and Laverne instinctively did. And then the first words of her speech made him more nervous.

"I've always loved Laverne. Ever since we were little girls, she's brought mischief and laughter into what would've been a quiet, goody-goody life. She was fiercely loyal and brave despite her doubts. And as we got older, I realized how pretty and eventually sexy she was. But I never really kissed her until this girl who was afraid to fly on a plane actually flew a plane."

Laverne hadn't told Lenny that part until recently. "She said she told you, 'We'll talk about this later,' but you never did."

"I think she thought, or hoped, it was just the emotion of the situation. But I never forgot the taste of her lips. I found excuses to kiss her onstage, because that's a world of make-believe. But I kept telling myself that I had to find a doctor husband and be 'normal,' as if there was anything normal about my marriage to Walter."

"Is he kinky?" Lenny whispered.

"No, he's, well, very boring in bed. But I mean, look at our wedding. I was pregnant, he was a mummy, and Laverne was his proxy."

Lenny nodded. "I still cried though."

She smiled. "I know, Len." She sighed. "I've always been attracted to men, but I do have these feelings for Laverne that she seems to return, and I want to explore them, if you're comfortable with that."

"Just go slow, that's all I ask."

"We will."

"What about you and Squiggy?"

"Well, obviously I wasn't looking for that." She shook her head and laughed at the same time. "But I've always been fond of Squiggy, despite myself, and I am attracted to him, too. I don't know how it's going to work for the four of us, but I think we should try it."

He nodded. "I want you to know, Shirl, I think you're real cute and sweet, but I don't got that special feeling for you."

"I feel the same about you. You're sort of like my little brother, even though you're so tall. Well, not as tall as my real brothers."

"Yeah. I mean, not that there aren't moments when I...."

"That's natural. Even I...."

They both jumped at the sound of Laverne's knock.

"Come in," Shirley said.

Laverne opened the door and said, "Hey, sorry to interrupt, but, Shirl, will do me a favor and come with me to the bridal shop this afternoon?"

Shirley stared at Lenny, who hastened to say, "No, no, Squendelyn is marrying Chuck!"

"Oh!"

"Yeah, and she wants me to go with her to look at wedding dresses. Will you come? We should finish up in plenty of time to get ready for Lenny's gig."

"Lenny's gig?"

Laverne chuckled, came over to sit on the arm of Lenny's chair, and kissed his cheek. "Sorry, Honey, I guess I didn't give you a chance to tell Shirley everything."

"It's OK," he said, wondering how a kiss on the cheek from her could still get to him like it did years ago. He looked at Shirley, who was smiling fondly at what a cute couple they were, and he thought of how grateful he was that she no longer believed pigs would take flight over his romance with Laverne. "It's at Vodka-a-Go-Go at seven tonight."

"Vodka-a-Go-Go?"

"Yeah, like Whisky-a-Go-Go but not as famous," Laverne said.

"It could be like a double date, although I'll have to be onstage most of the time of course."

"Triple date." Both Lenny and Shirley looked at Laverne, who said, "I hope it's OK, but Chuck and Squendelyn sort of invited themselves along."

"Um, they don't know about the four of us, do they?" Shirley asked.

Laverne snorted. "They don't even know about the three of us," she said, meaning her, Lenny, and Squiggy.

Lenny added, "Or the two of us, I mean me and Squiggy."

"Or me and Squiggy. So it'll be an interesting evening," Laverne said.

"I can't leave Debbie without a sitter," Shirley said, glancing towards the bedroom, where her baby was presumably napping.

"I'll get Pop to watch her. He's great with kids."

"Well, I guess it'd be OK for a couple hours," Shirley said, unaware that by the time the world had fully turned, she would be separated from her only child for much longer than that.


	5. Edge of Night

Squiggy was not crazy about his "first" date with Shirley being in the company of his sister and her fiancé. He and Lenny had been out on double dates with the girls in the old days, more in Milwaukee in their early twenties than Burbank in their late twenties. But in his heart of hardened hearts, Squiggy knew those were pity dates. Even now, it wasn't like he had asked Shirley out and she'd enthusiastically said yes. Lenny and Laverne had told her about Lenny's gig and she apparently was reluctant to leave her kid even with a sitter as reliable and food-scented as Mr. DeFazio. But she was going, and it would be Squiggy's first date with her after all the changes Walter Meeney brought to her life.

Squiggy didn't mind that she was married, since the marriage was clearly over. He didn't mind that she had a kid, although he didn't know much about babies. He didn't even mind that she was not quite the Shirley Feeney he'd grown up with. He was looking forward to really getting reacquainted with her.

If it had been up to him, this date would have a lot fewer people on it, and it wouldn't have loud rock music in the background. But he knew that if it went well, he could ask her on one that was more on his terms. They could talk and hopefully make out on that date.

He chose his outfit carefully. He had no interest in trying to look mod or hip. He had a classic style that he had only modified slightly since high school. Black remained his signature color, even as fashion grew more and more colorful, including for Lenny and Laverne. This evening, he selected a black collared shirt, a silver bolo tie for that Western touch, his favorite gray houndstooth jacket, jeans, and of course his Chuck Taylors.

Lenny had left early, since the band had to set up ahead of time. Everyone else was meeting at Laverne's, which Squiggy still thought of as both girls' apartment, whether Shirley was in Germany or upstairs. When he got there, the girls were cooing at the baby in the stroller, as they had at Fonzie's godson nine or so years ago. Shirley looked up and over at Squiggy, still with a fond smile on her face. That was different than the old days.

Her hair, which she'd grown out during her time in Europe, was in a pixie cut, he knew because she didn't want Debbie pulling on it. She still hadn't lost all the pregnancy weight, but he liked her curvier even more than he'd liked her Hepburnly slender. Her black shoes were low heeled and Mary-Janish in the non-marijuana sense, and her unbelted, flowing dress had a square neck, thick black-and-white horizontal stripes, and a hemline that came to just above the knee.

Laverne's hemline was, as it'd been for four years, higher than Shirley's. She had never been shy about showing off her great legs, or sometimes other parts of her body. He still thought she was a hot number, and he was still interested in bedding her as long as she was still interested. He bore her no ill will for their argument that morning, even the strangling. He'd always liked her feistiness and that he could fight with her, even insult her, and she'd dish it right back.

He took in the rest of her outfit, the high-heeled white sandals, the fuchsia-and-turquoise paisley minidress, the love beads, and the peace necklace. She greeted him with a kiss, which he returned, although he felt a little self-conscious in front of Shirley. Then he and Shirley shared an awkward hug. Things felt unbalanced without Lenny.

"Where's my cute little almost-granddaughter?"

Squiggy and Shirley let go and turned towards the open doorway. Mr. DeFazio was standing there holding a teddy bear that was bigger than Debbie.

"Awww!" Shirley cried in delight, but then she still slept with Boo Boo Kitty.

Squiggy looked at Laverne again, now watching her watch her father dote on her best friend's child. Mr. DeFazio had been pressuring his only child ever since she graduated from high school about getting a husband and kids. Although Lenny wasn't his favorite of the many boyfriends Laverne had had over the years, a blind man could see how crazy Lenny was about her. So Mr. DeFazio was more hopeful than he'd been since the days of Sonny St. Jacques.

Shirley had always been like a second daughter to him, and he even gave her away, temporarily as it would turn out, to Dr. Meeney. So of course he would think of Debbie as family. But it now occurred to Squiggy that Mr. DeFazio might not want him dating Shirley, especially since the restaurant-owner used to pay Squiggy not to date Laverne. The old man might feel even more strongly about this after all Shirley had gone through in the past year. So that was one more person Squiggy would have to prove himself to.

(That Laverne was sexually involved with Squiggy and romantically involved with Shirley was not something her father needed to know.)

Squiggy was distracted from thoughts of the DeFazio family by the entrance of his sister. She was wearing a ruffled white-and-blue flowered print dress and white secretary heels. The hemline was even more modest than Shirley's (by 1968 standards), but Squendelyn had the Squiggman stems and Squiggy hadn't been surprised to hear that she'd dragged Laverne and Shirley to six bridal shops, trying to find the right minidress in off white.

"Oh, Mr. DeFazio, how nice to see you again!" Squen had more than her share of the family politeness.

"You, too, Squendelyn."

"And it's so nice of you to babysit."

"Hey, Carmen is the closest I got to a grandkid so far." He insisted on using Debbie's less WASPy real first name.

"No, I mean sitting for Chuck, Jr."

Even Laverne looked surprised to hear that Chuck had a son. Squiggy had certainly never heard that his brother-in-law-to-be had been married before.

"Chuck, Jr.?" Laverne said.

"Yes, he's very sweet but he is at a difficult age, and he's acting out because of the engagement. Chuck is giving him a little talk in the car before they come in."

Mr. DeFazio, who looked like he hadn't signed on to babysit a difficult kid, instead voiced surprise about Squen's news. "You're engaged?"

"Yes!" She held out her ring finger so that the huge rhinestones caught the light.

"Congratulations!"

"Thank you."

"Wait a minute. How long have you known Chuck?"

"Nine glorious weeks!"

"Yeah?" He glanced over at the red jacket draped on a kitchen chair. "What do you think of two people who are only going steady nine glorious years after the guy proposed?"

"Maybe they don't want to rush into things." Charles Yossarian, Sr. entered in a red _Starship Enterprise_ uniform with a monkey on his back. Well, a chimp, which leapt onto the teddy bear and quickly beheaded it.

"Chucky, no! Bad Chucky!"

Squiggy said, "Well, I'll be a monkey's uncle."


	6. Dark Shadows

Lenny smiled down at the table closest to the stage. The five of them had come in after the set started, so he'd have to wait for the break before he could join them. He was grateful for their support, even Chuck, who he didn't know that well. But mostly he was smiling at and playing for Laverne. She would always be his favorite audience.

Even in the dark club where the brightest things were the band's day-glo necklaces, the go-go dancer's white boots, and of course the liquid light show, Lenny could see that Laverne looked beautiful that night. How could he share her with Shirley? How could he not? He'd been telling himself it wouldn't be that different from sharing her with Squiggy, but Squiggy was a part of him in a way that Shirley could never be.

He tried to focus on the music. This was his first time playing his red Gibson SG with the Luminescent Frogs and he wanted to do a good enough job to be asked back. They were psychedelic blues rock, as clotted as Cream, as heavy as Iron Butterfly. Lenny needed to concentrate and really get in the groove.

After awhile, Squendelyn and Chuck got up and headed onto the tiny dance floor, just below the go-go dancer's cage. They were a weird but cute couple and Lenny was flattered that Chuck wanted him to be an usher at the wedding next month. Squiggy would give the bride away, unless their father showed up. Laverne would be maid of honor, for introducing them, and Shirley would be another bridesmaid. Lenny remembered Laverne in the dresses she'd worn for her father and Mrs. Babish and for the wedding that Shirley pressured Carmine into, as well as the very short hospital gown for the Feeney-Meeney wedding. She had been lovely all three times, but none of those pairings had worked out. In fact, Carmine and Shirley hadn't made it through the whole ceremony. Hopefully, Squendelyn and Chuck would have better luck.

Lenny saw Squiggy say something to Shirley. He rooted for his buddy to ask Shirley to dance. He tried to pretend that it had nothing to do with jealousy. It wasn't like Shirley would ask Laverne to dance. Vodka-a-Go-Go wasn't really the kind of place where girls could touch-dance together. Then he felt guilty, since it wasn't like he didn't know how hard it was to have a relationship you couldn't go public with.

A waitress came over and told Squiggy something. Lenny couldn't hear anything anyone was saying down there, not over himself and the Frogs. He watched Squiggy excuse himself to the girls and follow the waitress over to the bar, then pick up the phone. Probably a STAB client who tracked Squiggy down here.

By the time Lenny looked back at the front table, a man had taken Squiggy's seat. Lenny felt even more jealous and territorial, since the stranger was one of Laverne's types, with broad shoulders, blue-black hair and mustache, a knowing smile.

He reminded himself that Laverne loved him and she was a tough cookie who could put anyone in their place. But why was she cringing as the man leaned towards her? It wasn't until Lenny saw the stranger mouth the word "whore" that he knew with fierce intensity who this creep was.

Lenny would later wish he had been playing his acoustic guitar, because by the time he unplugged his electric so he could jump off the stage and bring his axe down on Laverne's attacker's head, Shirley had clobbered the asshole with Squiggy's half-empty bottle of Shotz.


End file.
